Earth and Environmental Sciences

The impact of trade activities on the balance between interregional environmental and socio-economic development is critical for sustainable regional cooperation. This study integrates a nested multiregional input-output (MRIO) model with an atmospheric chemical transport model (WRF-CAMx) to quantify the complex impacts of embodied emission transfers on PM2.5 concentrations under significant interregional differences in energy consumption and emission intensity, enabling a regionally development status-aligned assessment of environmental benefits; furthermore, by coupling environmental (PM2.5 concentration), social (employment opportunity), and economic (value-added) benefits, a regional multidimensional balance index (RESI) was constructed. Results indicate that in 2017, trade between China and its 33 neighboring countries was generally balanced (RESI values close to zero), suggesting relatively equitable exchanges of environmental and socio-economic impacts. The path of China’s sustainable development has played a positive role in promoting mutually beneficial and win-win regional cooperation. At the provincial level, developed coastal regions gained economic benefits while outsourcing pollution, whereas less-developed inland regions bore environmental burdens without receiving corresponding socio-economic returns. Incorporating PM2.5 concentration and employment factors alters inequality assessments for some regions, providing a more realistic evaluation. This study provides a scientific basis for improving cross-regional environmental compensation and promoting more balanced and sustainable development.

• Shear deformation dramatically accelerates timescales of magma solidification; • Stirring shifts crystallization kinetics from growth to nucleation-dominated regime; • Nucleation rate exponentially increases with increasing shear rate; • Faster rates of nucleation at high shear hinder the formation of crystal alignment; • Shear-enhanced crystallization drives magma to critical strength and brittle failure. The eruptive style of mafic volcanoes is critically influenced by magma rheology, which is dynamically modulated by crystallization during cooling and decompression of ascending magma. Although the role of undercooling is well established, the influence of deformation on crystallization kinetics in magmas remains poorly constrained. Here, we experimentally investigate the rheological and textural evolution of Mt. Etna trachybasalt under isothermal conditions (1170°C) using concentric cylinder rheometry at varying shear rates (up to 10 s⁻¹). Real-time viscosity monitoring reveals that stirring exerts a fundamental influence in enhancing magma solidification due to crystallization, shortening the incubation time of nucleation and the time needed to reach thermomechanical equilibrium. Crystal textures confirm that stirring shifts crystallization from growth-dominated to nucleation-dominated regimes, with nucleation rates increasing by up to two orders of magnitude at the highest shear rate. Electron back-scatter diffraction analysis of the experimental samples indicates a non-linear structural response to deformation. Low-to-intermediate shear rates (0.1–1 s⁻¹) induce a moderate degree of crystals preferred orientation, while higher shear rate (10 s⁻¹) produces chaotic, isotropic textures due to rapid and spatially dispersed nucleation. These findings outline that deformation actively drives crystallization, dramatically accelerating magma solidification. We discuss how shear-enhanced crystallization is a key mechanism in volcanic systems, facilitating the attainment of rheological thresholds that trigger transitions in eruptive style. These deformation-driven effects offer new constraints for the understanding of basaltic Plinian eruption trigger mechanisms, identifying a threshold above which microlite production and magma strengthening can be significantly accelerated during ascent.

Abstract. The Carpathian Region, located at the edge of the East European Platform, presents a unique tectonic setting where major deformation associated with subduction and collision appears to have ceased around 8 million years ago. Yet vertical movements and seismicity continued afterward till the present day, suggesting ongoing crustal deformation and challenging our understanding of intraplate earthquakes and the processes driving these phenomena in an area considered a stable continental interior. In this study, we analyze over two decades of continuous GPS (cGPS) data from 143 permanent stations to estimate both horizontal and vertical crustal motions, constructing the most accurate model of crustal deformation in the region to date. The estimated velocity field indicates a southward drift of the South Carpathians and Moesia relative to Eurasia, with velocities ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm yr−1. We detect a more complex pattern of vertical uplift and subsidence in the foredeep, challenging a previously held view that this region is solely subsiding. This pattern may reflect localized uplift in response to processes such as the Vrancea Slab break-off beneath the South-East Carpathians. Crustal-scale active faults accommodate the observed differential motion, fragmenting the foreland. Furthermore, using a regularized horizontal velocity vector field, we estimate strain rate variations, maximum shear strain, and dilatation patterns across Romania, which align with observed stress regimes and earthquake mechanisms. This agreement validates our results and indicates an influence of surface plate kinematics on the observed seismicity, in addition to the deep Vrancea Slab dynamics. Our findings provide insights into the causes of crustal deformation at the transition between active collision zones and stable continental platforms, enhancing our understanding of intraplate seismicity in regions traditionally considered tectonically stable.

from agricultural and biogenic soil, potentially because partitioning processes promotes its formation. It also reveals greater contributions from industrial and combustion sources in East Asia versus North America, underscoring the necessity for reduction targeting these sources. These findings demonstrate that gas-particle partition plays a crucial role in regulating particulate nitrate isotopes.

Our knowledge of the transport and interfacial behavior of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) precursors in the vadose zone remains incomplete, with significant knowledge gaps. This study investigated unsaturated transport of two precursors, 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS) and perfluorohexanesulfonamido propylamine (PFHxSAm), using air–water interfacial tension measurements, column experiments, and mathematical modeling. PFHxSAm exhibited substantially greater surface activity than 6:2 FTS and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), leading to a pronounced retention in unsaturated columns. PFHxSAm was also determined as volatile, with an air–water partition coefficient of log Kaw = −4.45 (95% C.I. [−4.67, −4.31]) [log(cmw3/cmair3)], yet gas partitioning and diffusion processes were shown to contribute negligibly to its retention at ∼50% water saturation, likely due to the relatively low volatility. Rate-limited mass transfer at the air–water interface (AWI) was observed for 6:2 FTS and PFHxSAm, with desorption occurring 5–9 times more slowly than adsorption. Mixture experiments provide the first experimental evidence of synergistic AWI adsorption between 6:2 FTS and PFHxSAm, contrasting with the competitive behavior reported for perfluoroalkyl acids. Modeling of the transport experiments indicates that synergistic interactions increased AWI adsorption of PFHxSAm and 6:2 FTS by up to 1.9- and 11.3-fold, respectively, relative to their single-solute behavior. These findings demonstrate that synergistic interfacial interactions can substantially increase PFAS retention in the vadose zone, with important implications for their fate, transport, and risk assessment.

Abstract Agriculture plays a significant role in driving greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. Although Nature-based solutions (NbS) in agriculture are recognised as a holistic way to achieve long-term sustainability of food systems and climate goals, global understanding of the drivers and barriers to large-scale implementation of NbS in sustainable agriculture remains limited. Here, we employ sustainable agricultural approaches, as recognised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, as a typology for classifying evidence of NbS implementation in agriculture. We systematically analyse 171 scholarly works to identify barriers and enablers, including governance, ecological settings, and climate co-benefits, which influence their implementation. While NbS in agriculture offer opportunities for food security, ecosystem services, climate co-benefits, and sustainable development, our analysis reveals that most remain geographically uneven, small-scale, and primarily publicly funded. We identify two main features of the current agricultural NbS landscape: development-driven archetypes, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, that focus on food security and productivity improvement; and post-industrial or social-benefit archetypes in higher- to upper-middle-income countries that emphasise urban agriculture, quality of life, and biodiversity. We found top-down NbS governance and a lack of cross-sector collaboration, which may hinder its scaling. We contend that achieving inclusive and more robust NbS in agriculture necessitates attention to more private financiers, regional context, local governance, and targeted co-benefits.

Coastal wetlands regulate the transport and transformation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) between land and the ocean. It is known that DOM exported from tidal wetlands is chemically distinct from DOM in adjacent estuaries, yet its sources and compositional dynamics remain poorly resolved. Here, we investigated tidal variability in the optical and molecular composition of surface water DOM through absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Surface water samples were collected over multiple tidal cycles at three tidal marshes along a surface water salinity gradient in the Chesapeake Bay. At all sites, ebb tides consistently exported marsh-derived DOM enriched in terrestrial signatures with larger, more degraded, aromatic (e.g., tannin-like and condensed hydrocarbon-like) molecules. As water levels decreased during ebb tides, DOM composition gradually shifted from more protein-like and lipid-like to more condensed hydrocarbon-like substances, suggesting a sequential release of compositionally distinct DOM pools that may be distributed along the lateral gradient in the landscape. Tidal variability was minor at the low-salinity marsh due to limited hydrologic connectivity and greater riverine inputs. Our findings highlight the finer-scale tidal dynamics of surface water DOM, providing insights into how increasing hydrological alterations may affect coastal carbon cycling and downstream ecosystem functioning.

The textile industry is under increasing global pressure to move away from linear production systems, prompting an urgent shift toward a circular economy (CE). The CE framework for CO2 mitigation and the abatement cost curve for China’s textile industry was constructed (2023–2030), aiming to evaluate the CO2 mitigation potential and abatement costs of the CE measures. The results show that the CO2 mitigation potential of CE measures in China’s textile industry is 57.70 Mt CO2/year, accounting for 18.79% of the total emissions of the textile industry in 2023. Under the assumption that emission reductions can realize their economic value within the carbon emissions trading system, low-cost and high-potential measures represented by second-hand textile trade and mechanical recycle offer a CO2 mitigation potential of 35.09 Mt CO2/year, with an average abatement cost of −44.06 USD/tCO2, representing the most promising direction for promotion in the short term. In contrast, high-cost and low-potential measures are not suitable for large-scale deployment at the current stage. Achieving CO2 reductions in the textile industry through CE requires multidimensional cooperation among policy effectiveness, technological progress, consumer markets, and energy structures.

Artificial reefs (ARs), a form of anthropogenic intervention in marine habitats, have a long history of deployment and continue to proliferate worldwide. Based on a comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis, we show that (i) ARs have evolved from socioeconomic-oriented tools into often-used components of active marine restoration, yet this transition conflicts with the continued use of eco-unfriendly materials, hindering upscaling; (ii) ARs positively impact marine organisms at community, population, and individual levels, but their contributions to organismal fitness remain limited compared to natural reefs. To address these limitations, we advocate a paradigm shift toward "rewilding ARs"─temporary structures designed to create opportunities for natural reef formation, enhance habitat quality, and gradually degrade to minimize human impact. These features support the transition from active intervention to spontaneous recovery, promoting sustainable biodiversity recovery by improving organism fitness and facilitating upscaling. Integrating insights from ecologists, engineers, legal experts, environmental consultants, and NGOs, we introduce six guiding principles for "rewilding ARs" to ensure effective, durable, no-regret, scalable, permit-friendly, and outcome-optimized implementation. Lastly, we present pioneering examples of innovative ARs progressing toward these principles, serving as references for future endeavors.

BTX (benzene, toluene, and xylene), as representative indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs), poses persistent threats to human health. However, achieving the efficient catalytic degradation of BTX at low temperatures remains a major challenge. In this study, a multilevel three-dimensional (3D) MnOx/Cu-MOF/CNTs conductive aerogel catalyst was constructed, and an electroinjection (EI)-assisted catalytic oxidation strategy was proposed for BTX degradation. When the EI power was set to 1 W, the removal efficiency and yield of o-xylene reached 99.61% and 82.56%, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further demonstrate that the EI strategy can modulate the charge density around Mn and reduce oxygen vacancy formation energy. Overall, this work provides a new paradigm for overcoming the bottleneck of the low-temperature catalytic degradation of VOCs.

• A data-driven approach is proposed for reference-free quality evaluation in crowdsourced high-definition map production. • Discriminative temporal shapelets from vehicle-end time-series data assess measurement reliability. • A Markov Random Field–based consistency module enforces local spatial coherence in the predicted quality labels. • The framework supports scalable automated quality control for HD map production. Crowdsourcing provides an efficient pathway for large-scale High-definition (HD) maps production. Quality evaluation in crowdsourced HD map production remains a significant challenge. Existing quality evaluation methods typically rely on ground truth or manual inspection. Such dependence renders these methods incapable of supporting automated quality control in the crowdsourced map production process. To address this issue, we propose a data-driven approach that exploits the spatiotemporal patterns of vehicle-mounted sensor observations to strengthen quality control for HD map features. A multivariate time series classifier is developed to evaluate the quality of local map elements. The classifier models the spatiotemporal patterns of the data collection process using shapelet-based representations together with generic feature encodings. A post-processing strategy is applied to ensure globally consistent and spatially smooth predictions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective across typical road scenarios. It achieves a classification accuracy of 89.5%. Our method offers a practical approach for quality control in crowdsourced HD map construction. It contributes to improving production efficiency and positional accuracy in crowdsourced mapping workflows.

Abstract Carbon taxes are effective instruments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; however, public acceptance remains a significant obstacle. Redistributing tax revenues back to the population is often proposed as a means of increasing the perceived fairness of distributional outcomes and, by extension, acceptability. However, recent evidence suggests that the effect of redistribution on acceptability is modest. This letter contributes to the literature by arguing that existing carbon tax policies alter how people react to redistributive features. We draw on data from a conjoint experiment with 800 respondents from a representative sample of the Swiss population. Respondents were randomly exposed to evaluating alternative carbon tax policies relative to the existing Swiss carbon tax, a redistribution treatment focusing on societal fairness, or a combination of both. The results show that redistribution does not, on average, lead to higher acceptability of carbon taxes. Progressive redistributive schemes are more favourable once respondents are informed about the existing carbon tax, particularly among left-leaning citizens, but this effect is conditional on specific carbon tax policies. Moreover, we detect a strong entrenchment effect of preferring the status quo, substantially reducing the acceptability of alternative carbon tax policies. These findings suggest that carbon tax acceptability is shaped less by redistributive features than by how new policy designs are evaluated relative to policy baselines, with important implications for the design and communication of future carbon pricing reforms.